BIG-IP PSM

BIG-IP WebAccelerator

BIG-IP WOM

BIG-IP Edge Gateway

Overview: Implementing Link Layer Discovery Protocol

The BIG-IP system supports Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP). LLDP is
a Layer 2 industry-standard protocol (IEEE 802.1AB) that enables a network device such as the
BIG-IP system to advertise its identity and capabilities to multi-vendor neighbor devices on a
network. The protocol also enables a network device to receive information from neighbor
devices.

LLDP
transmits device information in the form of LLDP messages known as LLDP Packet Data Units
(LLDPDUs).

In general, this protocol:

Advertises connectivity and management information about the local BIG-IP device to neighbor devices on the same IEEE 802 LAN.

Receives network management information from neighbor devices on the same IEEE 802 LAN.

Operates with all IEEE 802 access protocols and network media.

Using the BIG-IP Configuration utility or tmsh, you can use this
particular implementation to configure BIG-IP system interfaces to transmit LLDPDUs to neighbor
devices. More specifically, you can:

Specify the exact content of LLDPDUs that a BIG-IP system interface transmits to a neighbor
device. You specify this content by configuring the LLDP Attributes
setting on each individual interface.

Globally specify the frequencies of various message transmittal properties, and specify the number of neighbors from which interfaces can receive messages. These properties apply to all interfaces on the BIG-IP system.

The following illustration shows a BIG-IP system that transmits LLDP messages to three neighbor
devices: another BIG-IP system, an external switch, and an external router. Note that LLDP is
enabled on all of the devices.

The BIG-IP system and LLDP transmittal

Task summary

Task List

Configuring global LLDP properties

You can configure a set of general LLDP properties that apply to all interfaces on the BIG-IP system. These settings pertain to LLDP message transmission frequencies and the maximum number of neighbors to which each interface can send LLDP messages.

Note: Although you use this procedure to globally enable the LLDP feature
on the BIG-IP system, you can also disable LLDP for any individual interface. You do
this by configuring the specific properties of that interface.

On the Main tab, click Network > Interfaces > LLDP > General.
This displays the general LLDP properties that you can configure on the system.

From the LLDP list, select Enabled.

For the remainder of the settings, retain or change the default values.

Click Update.

This enables support for the LLDP protocol on the BIG-IP system, and configures the
system to transmit LLDPDUs according to the specified frequencies.

Configuring LLDP settings for an individual interface

You can use this procedure to configure the settings for an individual interface
on the BIG-IP system.

On the Main tab, click Network > Interfaces > Interface List.
This displays the list of interfaces on the system.

In the Name column, click an interface number.
This displays the properties of the interface.

For the State setting, verify that the interface is set to Enabled.

For the LLDP setting, verify that the property is set to Transmit Only.

For the LLDP Attributes setting, verify that the list of attributes in the Send box includes all Time Length Values (TLVs) that you want the BIG-IP system interface to send to neighbor devices.

Click Update.

: This enables the selected interface and configures the interface to send the
specified LLDP information to neighbor devices.

Implementation results

This implementation results in this LLDP configuration:

Support for the LLDP protocol is enabled on the BIG-IP system.

For all BIG-IP system interfaces, the BIG-IP system attempts to transmit LLDPDUs to neighbor
devices every 30 seconds, with a minimum delay between transmissions of 2 seconds.

The maximum number of neighbors to which each BIG-IP system interface can send LLDPDUs is
10.

Every BIG-IP system interface can send LLDPDUs to its neighbors.

No BIG-IP system interface can receive LLDPDUs from its neighbors.

In addition, the content of the LLDPDUs that each BIG-IP system interface sends to its neighbors contains this information: